Paul Smith Spring Summer 2016 Collection

Paul Smith rides on last season’s dynamic debut of the ‘A Suit To Travel In’, the designer returns to LCM, evolving the story with a summer suit constructed using unlined and breathable cloth.

The Italian brand collaborated with cloth-maker, Loro Piana, for the suit that combines a high-performing textile with confident use of colour and contemporary construction. High-twist yarn that gives crease-resistance is woven loosely in the summer suit, to create a season-appropriate jacket and trousers with a dry, tropical handle.

With colour at the heart of Paul Smith, the SS16 ‘Suit To Travel In’ comes in a series of vibrant hues. A palette of rich pastels includes suits in citrus shades of yellow and green and dusty blue and purple, all woven with the same graphical windowpane check.

Following on from the gymnastic feats witnessed at last season’s LCM, Paul Smith returns with a pedal powered presentation. Nodding to Paul’s personal love of cycling, the suit’s breathable and crease resistant credentials are put to the test by world champion, freestyle stunt cyclist, Ben Savage, as he balances precariously on a series of sculptural art pieces.

The Women and Men collection embraces “independent company, independent mind”

With curiosity, simplicity, humor and an elegant oddness, Paul Smith has been dressing individuals from the start. For spring/summer 16, inspiration comes from independent minds.

Optimistic shades prevail on panels of print, the pleats of ‘concertina’ handbags and liquorice sticklike leather belts. Bolts of blue and orange take influence from the men’s spring/summer 16 collection, where suits were brightly colour-blocked, inspired by Hockney’s unbeatable eye for vibrant tones.

For men’s collection, colour and print are key and suit shapes are refined but distinctive, with the palette influenced by David Hockney’s unmatchable eye for colour.

As mentioned before, bolts of bright summer hues of blue, orange and green sit alongside more tonal shades. A loose and painterly approach to print is a common thread and brushstrokes are woven into tailoring cloth. Photographic print, which has long been at the heart of Paul Smith, recurs throughout the collection.